I’m Proud to be an American

I remember being really puzzled by a fellow co-worker in my days when I worked at an insurance company.  To encourage team building in our training we went around sharing which was our favorite holiday.  As usually Christmas topped the list followed by “my birthday” (yes, I know, it’s not a holiday).  I said either Christmas or Thanksgiving.  I remember being quite puzzled by one of my co-workers who said, “The Fourth of July.  Because I’m so proud to be an American.”  Now he was one of the older persons in the group and had been a former policeman.  It just struck me as odd because I just didn’t share the same attitude towards our country.  The 4th of July elicits no such sentiment from me.

Now I consider my US citizenship a privilege.  I must admit I’ve not served in the military or in a government agency nor do I have many friends or relatives who do.  I’ve never had to defend my country from someone who wanted to do us harm.  Plus I grew up in San Francisco, a very liberal town, so early on in my education I learned about slavery, our crimes against Native Americans, the red scare in the 50s, and Vietnam was just a decade old.  My high school voted to ban the Indian as our mascot b/c of its racist implications.

So when I think of the US, I can’t help think of its abuses of power alongside its acts of justice and mercy.  I can’t help think of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and Iraq.  Recently I’ve been quite embarassed to be an American.  Are we the most technologically advanced country in the world?  I visited Korea 2 years ago – they make us look like we’re still in the dark ages.  Do we provide the best for our citizens?  That’s up to debate – recent studies have found that we no longer set the global standard for civil rights and other countries provide better health care for their citizenry.  As a parent it outrages me that Europe has higher environmental protection standards for children.  Now I recognize that I’ve only listed our shortcomings – there is also a magnanimity in America flowing out of both the public and private sector.  So by no means is this a fair evaluation (yes there are much worse countries out there!).  Justified or not, I’m just saying this has been my sentiment.

Last night as I watched both McCain’s concession speech and Obama’s victory speech I thought to myself, “I’ve never been prouder to be an American.”  McCain was gracious in defeat and put country first.  Obama’s speech brought me to tears and my heart swelled with patriotic pride.  Prior to this the cynicism in me said that America would never vote a black man president.  But yesterday affirmed to me that the American ideals that I learned as a kid – democracy, liberty, freedom – continue to live true.  May God bless America.